Village Records - Early History

Introduction

Welcome to the Castle Eaton Village Records.  The aim of these pages is to provide a miscellany of items of interest about the history of Castle Eaton.  Much of the data used was gathered as part of a history project funded by the Millennium Awards for All - way back in the mists of time.  However, if any of you out there have other snippets of local history you would like to share, we will happily try to incorporate them. 

These pages are in the process of development, so please bear with us as we create this village history resource . . .

The ale-house

The Red Lion, over the years, has undoubtedly served many pints to the villagers of Castle Eaton.  Whether the present building has always housed the pub is questioned.  According to Reverend John Harrison, vicar of Castle Eaton 1945-1965, the "large, handsome house of mellow red brick" would not have been built as an inn.  He surmises that one of the smallest cottages in the village was most likely to have been the ale-house in years gone by.  Towards the end of the 18th century it is claimed by Joseph Rickets, in his writings of c.1858, he brewed illicitly in an old farmhouse in Castle Eaton.

The present public house is listed as a good example of an early 18th century house.  In 2000 the pub was restructured, a conservatory being added to the rear and a new bar installed.  Since 1720 the inn at Castle Eaton has been known as The Red Lion but prior to this it is thought to have been named The Green Dragon.

A history of the ownership of the property is incomplete but we know that in 1841 the land and properties surrounding the house was owned by John Archer and presumably remained as part of the Lushill and Caslte Eaton Estate until 1925 when it was sold on 29th September.  At this time the Red Lion was let to The Cirencester Brewery Company at an annual rental of £52 5s 0d (or £52.25p in 'new' money).

Landlords of The Red Lion

• 1841     William Smith
• 1851     William Smith
• 1855     ? Collett
• 1871     Cornelius Mitchell
• 1880     John Higgs
• 1881     John Higgs
• 1891     John Higgs
• 1901     William Greenaway

The Baker and the Bakery

Situated on The Street, next to the Village Hall is a large, imposing property currently known as The Malt House (since 1994), and previously named The Laurels.  Within the house are to be found large bread ovens, evidence of the building's former use as a bakery.

For many of the inhabitants in Castle Eaton, bread is likely to have formed a major part of their diet.  In his book "Round about the Upper Thames", Alfred Williams records the meals of one couple living in the village in about 1913 as:

• Breakfast: bread and water sops with lumps of butter, salt and pepper
• Dinner (our modern day lunch): little meat, broth, bread and potatoes
• Supper: Warm beer with bread

In rural villages it was common for each household to make their own bread, but as space was at a premium in the small cottages and ovens relatively expensive to install, many villages had a communal bake-house where the prepared dough was taken for baking.  No evidence has yet been unearthed regarding how the bakery operated in Castle Eaton, but we know the names of some of those who were baker's in the village.

• 1841     John Herbert
• 1841     William Petty (owned and occupied The Malt House)
• 1848     Edward Akers (baker and maltster)
• 1851     Edward Akers and his wife Sophia
• 1855     Edward Akers
• 1871     John H Akers
• 1880     John William Aker (corn dealer, maltster, baker)
• 1891     J W Aker
• 1901     Edward J Tytherleigh (baker and grocer)